Freezing system for fragible food products

Apparatus for freezing frangible foodstuffs comprising:

• (a) a first freezing section which includes a solid conveyor belt which is guided by roller means to provide an upper product receiving section and a lower immersed section with the lower immersed section passing through a bath of cryogen to chill the surface of said belt and the upper section extending above the cryogen bath, said first freezing section including means to admit product onto said upper belt section and means to move said product to an exit end of said upper belt section prior to said product reaching said lower immersed section;
• and
• (b) a second freezing section which is a spiral mechanical or cryogenic freezer having an entry end and an exit end, said entry end of said freezing section being mated to said exit end of said first freezing section so as to receive product form said first freezing section which has a bottom frozen crust to cause product to traverse the spiral freezer substantially undamaged at the bottom surface thereof from the entry end to the exit end of the spiral freezer.